REN Sirtuin Creme: reviewed and (at least for now) rejected

On October 24th Marta posted an opportunity for a TIA reader to use and review a sample of the REN Sirtuin Phytohormone Replenishing Creme, and I jumped all over her offer. My "reply" suggesting (begging) that I be allowed to review the product was just short of hysteria, and I couldn't have been happier to learn that the REN product was "on the way" to me for trial. I practiced saying "Sirtuin Phytohormone" over and over... nearly all the way home that evening in fact, until my fellow commuters threatened to a) have my sanity checked or b) throw me in the trunk or c) kill me.

Why was I so keenly interested in this specific product? My enthusiasm to test REN Replenishing Cream was not just because I like to try products that look scientifically promising (while being somewhat limited in what I purchase by a genetic frugality (read: cheap)..... it really was because the product was specifically formulated to prevent and treat the signs of ageing especially due to hormonal changes. According to the marketing information, ingredients are included that specifically target the aged, hormonally ravished cells of women who are pre and post menopausal, restoring vitality and healthy cellular structure with regular usage. And their "exclusive Global Protection Complex provides powerful anti-oxidant protection while (the) Biomimetic Hydra+ Complex ensures optimum hydration".

What? That description so clearly describes the condition of my skin and my skin care challenges that I half expected the REN Replenishing Cream to arrive with my photo on the box. I am the complexion poster child for 50 year old peri-menopausal women with a history of over indulgence in vitamin D (sun shine) , combined with fluctuating hormones. Could it be that the complexion gods had actually created a product that works WITH my wildly swinging hormones to make my skin radiant and healthy? Could REN's Sirtuin Phytohormone Replenishing Cream possibly be a tiny menopausal pay-back (created largely by Ma Nature, and formulated by a team of British REN chemists)? Was this Replenishing Cream the quid pro quo for menopausal night sweats, disrupted sleep patterns, and a metabolism that swings back and forth by the day? Could a newly rejuvenated-by-REN youthful complexion make my menopausal thinning hair and bone loss pale by comparison, so much so that women across the world would begin to envy their hot flash stricken and moody perio menopausal sisters for their glowing complexions?

The ingredients are natural, innovative and more than promising. To follow is the abbreviated overview, because a much more technical and scientifically complex explanation was presented by TIA (Marta, October 24th) when she first posted the availability of the REN product line and the sample. But suffice it to say that there has been 1) continued 2) recent 3) favorable press with regards to two key components in this REN product, resveratol and Photohormones (perlacan activators). Almost everyone knows about the benefits of the form of resvertol found in red wine, but resvertol is a derivative of both grapes and rice germ oil. REN uses the equally effective but lesser known rice germ oil component. There is additional marketing information for the Replenishing Cream celebrating/promoting the inclusion of "bio actives" (which presumably increase absorption of key ingredients across the cells), but I could find little scientific explanation on what these are and how they work for the Replenishing Cream, so I will abstain from weighing in on their "bio actives" ingredients, at least for now.

The Replenishing Cream is made up of a wonderful assortment of natural ingredients, nothing that is on the TIA "no no list", and decent doses of two of my favorites: wild yam (the perlacan activator) and the most hated plant in the universe, Kudzu.

So, after my 30+ days of faithful usage, is my skin firmer, brighter, and in better condition? Regretably, the answer is....... no. And no. And no.

For the last month I have applied REN twice daily to the left side of my face, neck and decollate. (By the way, don't you just love it when you get the opportunity to say or write "decollatage"? Such a grown-up word! ). And in an attempt to provide a truly fair trial, I applied my regular skin care products over the top of the Replenishing Cream, after waiting 10 minutes to be sure the REN product was deeply adsorbed, per the manufacturers instructions. My results? Aside from a little extra moisturizing and an absolutely delightful scent reminiscent of rose petals, there was really no discernable difference. No reduction of fine lines, no lightening of freckles, no firming of my skin.... all things I had hoped to be able to report. To be fair, the pro side of review list should include the quality packaging/pump, the delightful scent, the list of promising ingredients, the physical texture of the product, and the "little goes a long way" consistency. On the con side of the review list was simply the lack of result, made exponentially more disappointing by what I consider to be a hefty price tag.

All that being said...in an attempt to be completely fair, honest, and a dutiful reviewer, I will continue to use my generous 50 ML sample of REN Replenishing Cream until it is gone, and if there is any improvement or change over time, I will update everyone. Hopefully that will indeed happen (and not just so that I can use the word "decollatage" again in an update). Sometimes the most significant results are only achieved over time..... and I am the first person to accept that a 30 day trial may not be considered an appropriate benchmark for noticeable improvement.

I don't ever want to discourage any one from trying a product because no single line works for everyone, but it didnt bring the results for me that I was hoping for. That being said, the science behind it is quite promising, and the scent of the product was devine enough to make me a bit sad when I used the last drop. Thanks for your input.... let me know what you decided to try in stead, and how it worked for you.

January 22, 2009

by Nhan

Boy am I glad to have read this post! I have been contemplating on trying their products since I last saw it at Sephora. I wanted to wait until I run out on my old stuff to go try them. But after reading this post, it sure saved me.

January 16, 2009

by marta

I have some Estee Lauder Time Zone with sirtuins on its way, perhaps that will be more effective.

January 15, 2009

by Kate

Hi Niall and all,

Here is a short update.... I have continued using the Ren product for more than another 30 days, and still see no improvement nor change. A small portion of the product still remains, and I will dutifully use it untill the last drop. Perhaps that beautiful complexion I was hoping for will bubble up to the top shortly, but so far this has not lived up to my expectations.... Happy New Year to everyone!

December 15, 2008

by Niall

Oh, and I forgot to add that if you want firming/brightening from REN, try out their Revivolift Night Serum H11. It's cheaper than the sirtuin cream and does a very nice job at all the things most people want.

December 15, 2008

by Niall

That's a great review. Your issues with the Ren Sirtuin cream seem very similar to the negatives previously listed in the Zelens Antioxidant Serum review on TIA. In both reviews the product was faulted for not having traditional anti-aging effects associated with an earlier generation of products (firming, brightening, reduction in wrinkle presentation, etc.). Which makes me think that perhaps we are just dealing with a whole new category of products whose aim isn't necessarily to "lift and separate", but simply to prevent future damage to our skin caused by hormones or external oxidation..

In that case, the only way to review such products would be long term use. Which makes reviews rather difficult.